Apparatus for cutting and/or marking buttonholes and effecting similar operations



June 24, 1941. w, MORGAN 2,247,305 APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND/OR MARKING BUTTONHOLES AND EFFECTING SIMILAR OPERATIONS Filed Feb. 24, 1939 5 SheetsSheet l I L .J

June 24, 1941. F, w, o AN 2,247,305 APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND MARKING BUTTONHOLES AND EFF NS ECTING SIMILAR OPERATIO Filed Feb. 24, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MORGAN AND/0R MARKING BUTTONHOL I IONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 24, 1941. E w APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND EFFECTING S MILAR OPERAT Filed Feb. 24, 1939 Patented June 24, 1941 APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND/OR MARK- ING BUTTONHOLES AND EFFECTING SIM- ILAR OPERATIONS Frederick William Morgan, London, England Application February 24, 1939, Serial No. 258,350

In Great Britain March 1, 1938 21 Claims.

This invention relates to the making of buttonholes and the like and has for its principal object to enable series or rows of spaced button or like holes to be cut and/ormarked with greater expedition and accuracy than has hitherto been possible.

One of theobjects of the invention is to provide an apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes either by an actual cutting operation or by impressing a mark on the material and is readily adaptable to perform either of the functions in question. Another object is to provide means enabling the apparatus to be converted from cutting to marking without removal of the cutting means.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes having improved means for adjusting the positions of a guide fence for positioning the material in which the holes are to be made and of a cutting or marking bed.

Another object is to provide an apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members adapted to be brought into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made and having improved means for throwing one or more of such members out of operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes having improved means for marking the position of the holes.

According to the invention there are provided a plurality of buttonhole cutters or markers arranged for relative adjustable movement to vary the spacing between them and means interconnecting the cutters or markers for maintaining a predetermined spacing relation. The relation referred to will generally beequal spaces but it is to be understood that this need not necessarily be so and, if desired, the interconnecting means may be adapted to vary the individual spaces according to different functions of the magnitude of one of them.

The cutters or markers may be mounted and suitably guided for movement in a straight line and they are interconnected by linkage or other mechanism arranged so that when one of the cutters is held stationary the spacing of all the cutters may be increased or decreased by equal amounts. A convenient form of linkage which may be employed in practising the invention comprises a lattice or lazy tongs mechanism connected to sliding members or bars upon which the cutters are mounted, the said bars being slidable uponguide means and the assemblage being supported upon or over a bench or table.

According to a further feature of the invention the cutters are carried by movably :and preferably pivotally mounted bars and arenormally held in an inoperative position so that the garment or other article may be "brought into a suitable position. Means are provided in accordance with a further feature of the invention for actuating the heads either simultaneously or successively in any desired sequence to perform the cutting operation.

Conveniently the cutterlbars are of bell-crank form and are actuated by cam means mounted on a shaft which is rotatable bymeans such as a pedal. Means are also provided, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, for preventing the operation of one or more of the cutters or markers. Such means preferably comprises an adjustable member carried by the cutter bar and engaging the the said member being carried by a sleeve having a quick pitch thread giving a quick release.

According to a further feature of the invention the marking of spaced divisions on cloth, as, for example, the marking of buttonholes on garments, is effected by placing the cloth or garment in contact with anabsorbent or partially absorbent surface containing pigment and applying localised pressure to the cloth at thepoints at which the marking is desired by members which are maintained in a predetermined spaced relation. The absorbent surface maybe constituted by a sheet of felt or similar material and the pigment is preferably made up with a base of a viscous or semi-fiuidcharacter. The absorbent material may be impregnated with the pigment or the latter may be merely applied to the surface thereof. Preferably the base of the pigment is a grease or soft wax and is such that when applied to the cloth it will resist erasure by light rubbing but is readily removable by the use of a suitable solvent such as alcohol, ben- Zine or petroleum spirit and the like.

The pigment may be of any desired colour or a white pigment may be used if desired.

According to a further feature of the invention the localised pressure for marking is effected by members which are movable into and out of contact with the cloth or garment and are maintained in desired spaced relation by means permitting adjustment of the spacing and preferably by means which provide for the proportional spacing adjustment of a plurality of marking elements by a single operation.

ticular accuracy as regards both spacing and alignment. Accordingly one convenient mode of carrying the invention into effect will now be described, by way of example, as applied to this purpose, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the cutter mechanism showing the linkage controlling the cutter bars and the operating handwheel; 7

Figure 2 is a plan of the cutter mechanism;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the cutter mechanism taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

' Figure 4 is an end view showing the general arrangement of the apparatus;

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view showing a quick release device for preventing the operation of individual cutters;

Figure 6 is an end view of the quick release device;

Figure"? is a sectional view, partly diagrammatic, showing the combined adjustment of the cutting bed and guide fence;

Figure 8 is an end view of a cutter and a portion of the cutting bed;

Figure 9 is a similar view showing a guard in position for usein marking;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the guard;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the cutter;

Figs. 12 and 13 are an elevation and plan re-' spectively of a portion of the cutter bar showing the cutter clearing device. 7

In carrying the invention into effect according to one convenient mode, as applied by way of example to an apparatus for cutting and marking the buttonholes of Waistcoats and similar garments, the cutter mechanism shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is carried on a frame I as illustrated in Figure 4 and the cutters are operable by means of a pedal. The cutters are carried by a series of bars 3 mounted (with the exception of the right-hand bar in Figure 1) for pivotal and sliding movement upon a horizontal shaft-I secured in end frame members 5 carried on the frame I. In the present example there are six bars, although more may be provided if desired. Each of the bars is generally of bellcrank form and comprises a laterally extending arm 6 and a downwardly extending arm 1. Each of the arms 6 'carries a cutter blade 8 and a circular punch 9. Beneath the series of cutters is a cutting bed III of brass or other suitable material having a longitudinal guide fence I I. The disposition of the fence II in relation to the punches 9 when the latter are resting on the bed is such that when a waistcoat is laid on the bed against the fence the holes may be cut at the correct distance from the edge of the garment.

The cutter bars (except the end bar) slide freely on the shaft 4 and are intercomiected by a lazy tongs linkage consisting of pairs of crossed bars I2 which are pinned to the cutter bars at their centres and are joined at their outer ends I3 to form a lattice as shown in Figure 1. The right-hand bar is free to pivot on its shaft but cannot slide. Secured to the left-hand bar is a pin I4 carrying a link I5 to the ends of which are attached the two ends of a chain I6 passing round sprocket wheels I1 and I8. The sprocket I8 is carried by a fixed bracket and has secured to it a handwheel I9. The sprocket I! is carried by a slidably mounted bracket 20, a screw bearing against the end frame 5 being provided for tightening the chain.

The downwardly extending arms 7 of the cutter bars carry adjustable members 22, which may conveniently comprise short threaded bolts, bearing against a rotatable cam 23 journalled in the end frames 5 and having attached thereto a grooved pulley 24. The cam surface comprises an eccentric arcuate portion 25 and a fiat portion 26, and each of the cutter bars is provided with spring means Ia which maintains the pro jection 22 in engagement with the cam. With the cam in the position shown in Figure 3 the cutter bars are held so that the cutters are clear of the bed I0 and the waistcoat or other garment may bereadily placed in position. When the cam is rotated the eccentric arcuate portion 25 displaces the cutter bars sufiiciently to bring the'cutters firmly down on the bed and cut through the cloth of the garment. Accurate individual adjustment is afforded by the bolts 22. The rotation of the cam is effected by depressing a pedal 2! to which is attached a rope or cable 28 passed once round the pulley 24 and secured to an anchor spring 29 which returns .the cam to its initial position after each operation of the pedal.

In using the apparatus it will be appreciated that the Waistcoats as received have usually two stitch marks showing the positions of the top and bottom buttonholes. In their absence the positions should be marked in any convenient way. The garment is then introduced beneath the cutters so that one of the marks lies immediately beneath the stationary or non-sliding cutter 0f the series, i. e. the right-hand cutter in Figure 1. Assuming that six buttonholes are required, the operator then moves the left-hand cutter by rotating the handwheel I9 until the edge of the cutter in question lies immediately over the second mark on the waistcoat. The edge of the waistcoat having meanwhile been brought evenly up against the guide fence I I, the pedal is then depressed and the cutters actuated to pierce all six buttonholes in a single operation. It should be explained that the mechanism is self-clamping by reason of the inherent friction in the various connections of the lazy tongs. If necessary, however, additional friction or clamping may be introduced or a screw clamp may be provided.

It may sometimes be desired to vary the number of buttonholes and for this purpose means may be provided for preventing the operation of one or more of the cutters. Such means is shown in Figure 5 and is provided in place of one or more of the plain bolts 22. The cam 23 is 'engaged by an enlarged end 39 of a screw 3! having a knurled head 32 and carried by a sleeve 33. The sleeve 33 has a quick pitch thread en gaged by the arm I of the cutter bar and has a knurled head 3 A recess 35 in the head 34 is engageable by a spring 36. The screw 3| may be quickly released by depressing the spring 36 and rotating the head 34. 7

It will be understood that the apparatus may be used for garments and the like other than Waistcoats, and for some purposes modifications .may: be required. Thus for example in cutting 'ing movement in suitable guides.

buttonholes for overcoats it is necessary to provide fordifferent lengths of buttonhole and diffcrent spacing between the end of the hole and the edge of the coat. These two dimensions usually bear a fixed relation and for adapting the apparatusto the different sizes of garment an adjustable cutting bed and guide fence as shown in Figure '7 is provided. The bed Illa and the guide fence lla are arranged for lateral adjust- A screw .31 having rightand left-hand threaded portions engaging the bed and the fence respectively is mounted in the frame I of the mechanism so that it cannot move longitudinally and is provided with a handwheel 38. By turning the handwheel the bed and fence may be adjusted to vary the spacing between them. In the full line position the cutter 8, 9 will be coextensive with the bed in the piercing position and will cut a buttonhole of the full length A, the end of the a hole being spaced a distance B from the edge of the garment. For cutting a garment of smaller size the handwheel 38 is turned to bring the bed and fence closer together as shown in the broken line position. The cutter will then be operative over a part of the width of the bed only and will out a buttonhole having a length C and spaced a distance D from the edge of the coat.

The apparatus may also be adapted for marking instead of cutting in the following manner. The cutter bar 6 carrying the cutter blade 8 and punch 9 is provided with a dovetail slot 39. This slot is adapted to receive a dovetail projection in on a metal guard 4| formed to fit over the blade 8 and having a curved extension 42 which acts as a guard for the cutting edge of the punch 8. The lower edge of the guard has a straight non-cutting edge 43. A strip of felt 44 is placed over the bed l and is secured in any convenient manner as for example by spring clips. The felt is impregnated with pigment which is preferably made up with a base of a viscous or semifiuid character. Alternatively the pigment may be merely applied to the surface of thefelt. Preferably the base of the pigment is a grease or soft wax and is such that when applied to the cloth of the garment it will resist erasure by light rubbing but is readily removable by the use of a suitable solvent such as alcohol, benzine or petroleum spirit and the like. The pigment may be of any desired colour but white is usually preferred. A grease paint similar to that employed by the theatrical profession is found to be very suitable. Having placed the guards 4| in their slots to cover the blades, the garment is placed in position and the cutter bars adjusted as previously described for piercing. The pedal is then operated to depress the guarded blades and press them firmly against the garment which will then receive corresponding impressions from the felt 44 in the manner of 'offset printing.

A preferred form of cutter bar is shown in Figure 11. It will be noted that the bar is cut away on one side as shown at 45. This enables the operator of the machine to obtain a clear View of the edge of the blade 8 before and during the cutting operation,

In order to prevent the garment being drawn upwardly with the cutters when these are raised after the piercing operation, there may be provided a cutter clearing device consisting of a spring 3a attached to the cutter bar and adapted to bear on the garment when the cutter is in raised position. Preferably the spring is bifurcated so as to provide two sp n e w h engage the cloth on either side of the cutter blade. These springs will bend when the cutters are actuated and on the return movement they exert sufficient pressure on the cloth to prevent it from rising with the cutter.

While it will be understood that the cutters will usually be arranged to cut a straight line of holes, certain cutters may if desired be adjustably mounted so that one or more of the holes may be offset. Furthermore the lazy tongs linkage described above represents but one means of maintaining the desired spacing of the cutter bars, and many other forms of interconnecting means may be employed. For example adjacent cutter carriers may be connected by screws of different pitch or may be actuated by gear wheels of diiferent diameters meshing with racks, or by cables passing over drums of different sizes. Wide variations in the mechaiism employed may be made provided that when the series is adjusted the spacing remains equal or varies in some predetermined and regular manner. The means employed for actuatingthe cutters may also be modified widely and it will be understood that the cam means described above is to be regarded purely as an example.

The invention may be applied to the cutting of buttonholes or to similar cutting or piercing operations on garments or other articles of all kinds. For example the apparatus may be readily adapted for the piercing of holes to receive spaced fasteners such as press studs.

The apparatus may also be modified, for the purpose of marking, b providing removable cutter heads and replacing these by marking heads having chalk holders or other suitable marking devices. If necessary these holders may be resiliently mounted to ensure that the required pressure for proper marking is not exceeded, or the stroke of the markers may be reduced by suitable adjustment of the transmission.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for determining the position of button and like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, a bed located beneath the said members and movable transversely with respect to the spacing thereof, a guide fence for positioning the material and movable transversely with respect to the spaced members, and means for simultaneously adjusting the bed and the fence.

2. Apparatus for determining the position of button and like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, means for varying the spacing of the said members while maintaining proportionality thereof, a bed located beneath the said members and movable transversely with respect thereto, a guide fence for positioning the material movable transversely with respect to the spaced members and means for simultaneously adjusting the bed and the fence.

3. Apparatus for determining the position of button and like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, means for varying the spacing of the said members while maintaining proportionality thereof, a bed located beneath Lthesaid members and movable transversely with respect thereto, a guide fence for positioning the material movable transversely with respect to the spaced members and means for simultaneously adjusting thebed and fence in opposite senses.

4. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, means interconnecting the said members for varying their spacing while maintaining proportionality thereof, a bed located beneath the said members and slidable transversely with respect thereto, a guide fence similarly mounted to permit adjustment of the distance between the bed and fence and screw means having threads of opposite hand engaging the bed and fence for simultaneous adjustment thereof in opposite directions.

5. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, a bed located beneath said members and slidable transversely with respect thereto, a guide fence for positioning the material similarly slidable, a screw having threaded portions of opposite hand engaging the bed and fence respectively, bearing means for said screw arranged to prevent longitudinal movement thereof, and means for rotating the screw to adjust the bed and fence simultaneously.

6. Apparatus for determining the position of button and like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, a bed located beneath the said members and movable transversely with respect to the spacing thereof, a guide fence for positioning the material movable transversely with respect to the spaced members, and means for simultaneously adjusting the position of the bed and fence for varying the determined length of the holes.

7. Apparatus for determining the position of button and. like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart'and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, means for varying the spacing of the said members while maintaining proportionality thereof, a bed located beneath the said members and movable transversely with respect thereto, a guide fence for positioning the material also movable transversely with respect to the spaced members, and means for simultaneously adjusting the bed and fence towards or away from each other for varying the determined length of the holes.

8. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, cam means for simultaneously actuating the said members, a sleeve having a quick pitch thread engaged with one of said members, a member threaded into the sleeve for engaging with the cam means, and releasable means for engaging and holding the said sleeve and permitting release and retraction thereof to prevent operation of the member by the cam means.

9. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, cam means for simultaneously actuating the said members, a sleeve having a quick pitch thread engaged with one of said members, a member threaded into the sleeve for engaging with the cam means, a head on the sleeve for actuating the same having a notch therein, and spring means normally engaged in the said notch for preventing actuation of the head.

10. Apparatus fordetermining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, means for maintaining proportional spacing of the members, each of said members being provided with an edge and means enabling the character of the edge to be changed without removing the edge from the apparatus.

11. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the, holes are to be made, said members being provided with edges, and means enabling a supplementary member to be attached to said first member to change the character of the edge while the said edge remains in situ on the member.

12. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, said members being formed to provide edges, and a groove in each of said members adapted to receive a guard member for changing the character of the edge.

13. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, each of said members having an edge and being cut away at the side thereof to afford a clear view of the edge from above when the edge is. brought into engagement with the material.

14. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members'spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, said members carrying cutting edges and being formed to receive protective guards having blunt as distinct from cutting edges.

15. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, said members carrying cutting edges and being grooved to receive protective guards having blunt as distinct from cutting edges.

16. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of bars spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, cutting edges carried by said barsand each bar having a groove, and protective guards having a blunt as distinct from a cutting edge slidable in the grooves.

17. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of bars spaced apart and movable to vary the spacing between them and into engagement with material in which the holes are to be made, means interconnecting the bars for maintaining proportional spacing thereof, cutting means carried by the bars, and means associated with the bars for receiving protective guards to cover the cutting means.

18. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, means for maintaining proportional spacing of the members, each of said members being provided with an edge and means attachable thereto for changing the character of the edge while the said edge remains in situ on the member.

19. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, means for maintaining proportional spacing of the members, each of said members being provided with an edge and means for changing the character of the edge while the edge remains in situ thereon movable into position upon said member.

20. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, means for maintaining proportional spacing of the members, each of said members being provided with an edge and means on said members movable into position for changing the character of the edge without removing the edge from the member.

21. Apparatus for determining the position of button or like holes comprising a plurality of members spaced apart and movable into engagement with the material in which the holes are to be made, means for maintaining proportional spacing of the members, said members carrying cutting edges and guard means on the members for converting the cutting edges into blunt edges.

FREDERICK WILLIAM MORGAN. 

